1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an apparatus which may be used efficiently to clean the tubes (up to 14,000) of a formaldehyde converter and wherein the brush or other cleaning head utilized to clean the tubes is power projected into and power retracted from each of the converter tubes upon proper indexing in position therewith through the utilization of a pilot member projectable into and retractable from a tube adjacent to the tube to be cleaned, the pilot member determining the proper registry of the cleaning head with the tube to be cleaned and the projection of the pilot member into an adjacent tube being operable to automatically actuate power structure to drive the cleaning head into and through the tube to be cleaned and partial withdrawal of the pilot member from the adjacent tube being operable to automatically power the cleaning head from the tube being cleaned.
2. Description of Related Art
Various different forms of tube cleaning mechanisms heretofore have been provided such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 582,953, 1,441,431, 1,694,371, 1,957,466, 2,795,391, 3,886,694, 4,225,362 and 4,367,790.
However, these previously known forms of cleaning devices do not include the overall combination incorporated in the instant invention wherein a pilot member is projected into a first tube for proper registry of a power driven cleaning head with a second tube to be cleaned and wherein projection of the pilot member a predetermined distance into the first tube automatically actuates the power mechanism for power projecting the cleaning head through the second tube.